Hunter roads: All Hunter roads are clear this morning.
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Hunter trains: There is a good service on the Central Coast and Newcastle line and the Hunter line.
Hunter weather: Hot and sunny day with some light winds, increasing in the evening in Newcastle (32 degrees), light winds increasing in the afternoon and a hot and sunny day for Raymond Terrace (33 degrees), Maitland is in for a hot and sunny day with light winds (40 degrees) and a hot day in Scone with winds increasing (39 degrees).
Hunter beachwatch by Dave Anderson: Hot day and some cleaner waves during the morning before the seabreeze kicks in. Swell is starting to drop from the South at 1 to 1.5m.Wind light North turning N/E and freshening during the afternoon. Tides low for the dawnpatrol.Alley,South Bar,Cliff and Merewether.Some protection up at Buribi.Try Redhead,Hams,Catho and Fraser to the south. Waters clean and clear in and only swim at patrolled beaches in flagged areas.water temp 21C.
► MICHAEL Chamberlain saw the world in black and white. That was until he lost baby Azaria, which changed everything. From that tragic night in 1980, his memorial service on Monday was told, he began to see the shades of grey. More here.
► “OUR Knights One Chance” organisers are poised to escalate their bid for community ownership of Newcastle’s rugby league franchise with a marketing and promotional blitz. More here.
► INVESTIGATIONS are under way into the safety of fencing at McDonald Jones Stadium after a fence collapsed on Sunday – at least the third fence collapse in the past six years at a Newcastle Jets home game. More here.
► THE Department of Education is considering a third demountable for Newcastle East Public to accommodate the swelling student population, infuriating neighbours who fear overshadowing and reigniting concerns about overcrowding. More here.
► Whether you’re tired of the crowded beaches, running low on friends who have pools or are really sick of blowing up that plastic pool, you’re in luck because the Hunter is home to some pretty amazing natural swimming holes. From rock pools, creeks, swimming holes and lagoons – we’ve got it all. More here.
► When boat owners see the Maritime vessel cruising towards them, they may think trouble is approaching. But from the perspective of the officers on board, they’re trying to ensure trouble stays away from boats. More here.
► ON their 52nd wedding anniversary on Monday, from the seaside suburb where they spent the first two years of marriage, Bryce and Barbara Gaudry talked about love, mortality, pancreatic cancer and cannabis oil. More here.
► NEWCASTLE Jets will be sweating on the fitness of English import Wayne Brown after losing in-form Andrew Hoole through suspension for Sunday’s clash with Western Sydney at Campbelltown. More here.
► THEY’RE creepy, they’re crawly and they’re everywhere in summer. Cockroaches are probably one of the most hated pests in the world, and the Hunter seems to be a breeding ground for them – especially in summer. More here.
► TRYING to treat a cold with antibiotics is like trying to clean your toilet with your toothbrush, a Hunter GP says. More here.
► Maitland mayor Peter Blackmore has urged the state and federal governments to pay for any anti-terrorism security measures needed to keep crowds safe at the city’s Anzac Day services. More here.
► Hunter rider Sam Masters delivered the grand finale on a huge night of high-octane fun at Kurri Kurri Speedway on Saturday night. More here.
► Hunter Valley residents may have had a small reprieve from the sweltering heat, but the high temperatures are set to return on Tuesday and Wednesday. More here.
► Two Labor MPs have slammed the Turnbull Government over the Centrelink debt saga, and have repeated calls for the government’s cash claw-back to be put on hold until the matter has been cleared up. More here.
► Cessnock dancers Kyla Borghero and Tayla Minchinton have continued their success at international level. More here.
► Owners of flood-affected properties in the Cessnock local government area may soon be able to apply for funding to assist with raising their homes to reduce the threat of floodwater. More here.
► A love of knitting for a handful of Dungog residents is fostering international relations in a highly colourful way. More here.
► THE value of residential land in Lake Macquarie rose by 9 per cent last financial year to a total of $22 billion, figures released by the NSW Valuer General show. More here.
► WORLD No 3 Troy Brosnan (South Australia) dominated the opening round of the 2017 DHI National Series at Awaba Mountain Bike Park on Sunday, winning the elite men’s section by five seconds. More here.
► ARE you interested in joining working groups to progress Revitalisation Masterplans for the region?Residents from Aberdeen, Merriwa, Murrurundi and Scone are invited to attend an upcoming meeting in their town. More here.
► MAYBE it’s the aroma of a steeping tea or freshly ground coffee that awakens the senses. Or perhaps it’s the warming goodness that works its way through the lips and over the tongue. More here.
► ABERDEEN angler Kerryanne Thompson reeled in a “big one” at the prestigious Golden Lure, at Port Macquarie, last week. And, it capped off a perfect return to the annual game fishing tournament for the local woman. More here.
► WHILE people may be familiar with the fictional officers from Wentworth or Orange is the New Black, Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) is celebrating the real faces of prison life and thanking their more than 7000 frontline staff this week. More here.
State of the nation
Need a national news snapshot first thing – well, we have you covered.
Regional news
►TASMANIA: A child with anaphylaxia, a horse riding injury with no way to call for help, elderly relatives living alone, major highways without phone reception, bushfires, snakebites – all stories of life without reliable phone coverage across the state… the full story of the ‘black spot state’.
►ORANGE, NSW: Robert Nixon is considering his legal options after a review into his son’s death identified gaps in mental health services. In April last year, Mr Nixon’s son presented to a local health campus suffering from severe depression and drug addiction but no bed was available...the full story here.
►ACT: Authorities were warned of two dangerous dogs at a Belconnen public housing complex months before a resident was horrifically mauled. Now the victim is suing the ACT government for allegedly failing to prevent the attack despite receiving warnings from residents over three months.
►BENDIGO, VIC: Tuesday has been declared a Total Fire Ban day in the North Central, Wimmera and Mallee districts. The Bureau of Meteorology expects temperatures in Bendigo on Tuesday to soar to 39 degrees. A maximum of 40 degrees is predicted in Northern Country towns such as Kyabram...read on.
National news
►SYDNEY: A body has been found in a burnt-out car parked outside the Rooty Hill Leisure Centre in Sydney's west. Emergency services were called to the carpark on John Street just after 3pm on Monday where they found a dark blue Toyota Corolla hatchback with red P-plates well alight.
►Fourteen dolphins were found dead in shark nets installed at NSW beaches during last financial year, amid a surge in the numbers of marine creatures caught...read on.
►At least half of Australia's special intake of 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees will be settled in one part of western Sydney within 12 months..read full story.
National weather radar
International news
► MEXICO: At least five people, including four foreigners, have been killed and 15 wounded after a shooter opened fire at a nightclub in Mexico's Playa del Carmen resort during a music festival...full story here.
►INDONESIA: Police deny they are afraid to tackle hardline Islamic leader Muhammad Rizieq Shihab. Widely known as Habib Rizieq, he is being investigated over multiple reports of alleged blasphemy and slander, including his outlandish claim that the 100,000 rupiah note contains an image of the hammer and sickle, which is illegal in Indonesia...read more.
Faces of Australia: Maureen Clark and June Reedy
DOING anything for 60 years is remarkable, whether it is working a job or playing an instrument.
Two Central West women, Maureen Clark and June Reedy, have sent the very same card back and forth to each other for six decades.
Ms Clark, who resides in Bathurst, sent the card to her friend when she was just 17 years old in 1957.